Feds give $340K to make Atlantic Canadian tourism more LGBTQ-friendly
The federal authorities introduced Friday it’ll spend greater than $340,000 to enhance companies for LGBTQ vacationers to Atlantic Canada.
The cash will probably be spent on an LGBTQ tourism market readiness program that may give workers coaching on inclusion, auditing locations to verify they’ve inclusive, welcoming practices and set up a “rainbow certification program” for companies.
“That is constructing on a whole lot of the work that has been accomplished and hopefully via this funding we’ll be capable of simply actually take it to the subsequent stage,” stated Darrell Schuurman, CEO of the Canadian LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, which is able to lead the initiative.
The funding announcement was made in Charlottetown by MP Sean Casey. The $341,804 is thru the Tourism Reduction Fund, a $500-million nationwide program to assist the tourism sector in Canada recuperate from the devastating results of COVID-19.
‘Underserved market’
Canada is dwelling to greater than 100,000 LGBTQ-owned companies which generate greater than $22 billion in financial exercise, a written launch famous.
“It is a market that is comparatively untapped,” Schuurman stated. “There’s a possibility for our tourism companies, tourism trade, to faucet into this underserved market and actually assist to develop the area economically.”
Schuurman stated discrimination nonetheless occurs to LGBTQ neighborhood members at tourism locations.
“It does occur, and that is why this coaching continues to be so vital.”
P.E.I.’s Delight Week kicks off this weekend.
